University Of Arizona Agrees To $2.5 Million Settlement, Endowment For Slain Professor

University Of Arizona Agrees To $2.5 Million Settlement, Endowment For Slain Professor

By Corinne Murdock |

On Tuesday, the University of Arizona (UArizona) announced a $2.5 million settlement with the family of slain Professor Thomas Meixner.

Former UArizona graduate student Murad Dervish fatally shot Meixner in October 2022. In a copy of the settlement obtained by AZ Free News, UArizona also agreed to establish and fund an endowed professorship in the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences (HAS) in Mexiner’s name. 

UArizona also agreed to provide continued mental health treatment to HAS faculty, staff, and students directly and immediately affected by the shooting, as well as a tuition and fee waiver to certain HAS students directly and immediately affected by the shooting. For the latter provision, the university will apply the tuition and fee waiver prospectively and retroactively to the semester in which the events preceding the shooting began. 

The Meixner family filed a notice of a claim against UArizona last March shortly after the disbanding of an independent faculty committee investigating the shooting. They originally sought $9 million from the university. 

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Meixner’s wife, Kathleen, said that they’re focused on preventing similar tragedies in the future. She ended on a note of support for the university that her husband knew and loved.

“So often in the aftermath of school shootings, we learn all the ways that they could and should have been prevented. That is exactly what happened here,” said Kathleen. “My family and I will continue meeting with the University of Arizona President, its Police Chief, and multiple other members of the University administration to make certain it upholds its commitment to make our community safer. Together, we will Bear Down, and find our way forward with courage and love for the Wildcat community which Tom cherished.”

In their original claim, the Meixner family accused the university of “repeatedly ignoring the clear and present danger” that Dervish posed by “openly advertis[ing] his intent to murder.” The family’s notice offered a summary of Dervish’s actions and escalations in threats for nearly a year leading up to the shooting, as well as details of a previous order of protection against Dervish from a previous university that UArizona failed to catch. 

Meixner’s family alleged that Dervish’s intentions were so well known that Meixner’s last words were: “I knew you were going to do this!” Dervish violated the terms of his expulsion and ban from campus, as well as a no contact order, prior to the shooting.

“Dr. Meixner’s murder was not a random act of violence. The university knew Dervish planned to kill him and allowed it,” said the family. “Dervish’s homicidal intentions, capacities and history, as well as his utter disregard for the university’s unenforced sanctions, were so patently obvious that the University’s multiple failures to protect Dr. Meixner constitute an outrage.”

As reported previously, Dervish had a lengthy history of violence and crime. His criminal background included three prison stints and several instances of attempted murder: a pizza man at Penn State University and his own mother. He had also assaulted his father previously.

In a video of his interrogation following the shooting, Dervish expressed satisfaction over Meixner’s death. His trial date was pushed back to this May pending a doctor’s report on Dervish’s sanity. 

“Well, at least I fulfilled my mission,” said Dervish. 

In a press release issued Tuesday, UArizona alluded to the terms of the settlement’s non-monetary commitments to support the well-being of those affected by the shooting, as well as their agreement to have the Meixner family assist in future planning and implementation of safety and security measures.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

University Of Arizona Police Chief Steps Down Seven Months After Professor Slain

University Of Arizona Police Chief Steps Down Seven Months After Professor Slain

By Corinne Murdock |

On Monday, the University of Arizona (UArizona) chief of police stepped down in apparent relation to the professor slaying last year. UArizona President Robert Robbins issued the announcement. 

Now-former University of Arizona Police Department (UAPD) Chief Paula Balafas has grappled with a sect of the university community advocating for stronger safety protocols on campus following the murder of Professor Thomas Meixner. 

Balafas criticized a report from an independent committee formed by faculty members, the General Faculty Committee on University Safety For All Informed Faculty, stating that the university leaders were “stronger than their critics.” 

The committee’s 30-page interim report, issued in January, claimed that UArizona was endangered by a “glaring institutional failure” concerning disregard for employee and student safety concerns.

Meixner was shot fatally by a former UArizona graduate student. 

The independent faculty committee disbanded in March, expressing fears of retaliation from university officials. Around that time, the university released its own external safety report. The report by the PAX Group detailed three systemic issues: understanding and managing threats, providing a consistent and compassionate response, and the decentralization of communications. 

The PAX Group reported finding a steady increase in violent crime and criminal activity beginning in 2018, with a peak in violent activity last year. The group further noted that UArizona measures handling crime were comparable to those employed by Arizona State University (ASU), despite ASU having 15,000 more students. Yet last year, UArizona suffered nearly 20 more incidents of aggravated assault and violent crime combined than ASU.

“Although the campus is relatively safe, the data on violent crime and related activity is heading in the wrong direction; so, as a community, the University of Arizona must address this,” stated the report. 

In all, the report issued 33 recommendations to improve campus safety.

Robbins announced at the time of the external report’s issuance that Steve Patterson, a 25-year FBI veteran, would take over as the interim chief safety officer. Patterson was scheduled to begin on Monday. Robbins also announced the creation of a Campus Safety Advisory Commission made up of university and community members to advise Patterson, and the inclusion of the PAX Group in crafting a campus-wide master facility safety plan.

READ THE UARIZONA SAFETY REPORT HERE

Replacing Balafas in the interim will be Oro Valley Police Department commander Chris Olson. He formerly served as a UAPD officer. 

Balafas joined UArizona just over a year ago, in February 2022. UArizona noted that she represented the first female chief of police in university history. Balafas explained in an interview shortly after her hire, and several months before Meixner’s death, that she was drawn to UArizona’s focus on a progressive approach to policing.

“[T]he way the job description for UAPD had been presented was that they were looking for someone who is really good at building community within the police department but also outside of the police department, someone who is open to change who’d been in a progressive environment,” said Balafas. 

Balafas also advocated for the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusivity training. She lamented that officers weren’t as welcome in certain areas on campus, namely multicultural centers. 

Balafas wasn’t the only faculty member to depart. Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Liesl Folks also stepped down, though she won’t depart until the end of this semester.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.